


Bleakest Belief

by Katritam (Scavenge4Dreams)



Series: Mag 7 Continued Universe [4]
Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Its not what it seems, Magnificent Seven AU: ATF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-24
Updated: 2013-02-24
Packaged: 2017-12-03 11:16:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/697673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scavenge4Dreams/pseuds/Katritam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Its snowing, therefore its cold...and once again, trouble ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Nature Of Assumptions

**   
**

**_ The Nature of Assumptions _ **

**__ **

_Do not loiter needlessly - if possible use far right elevator for floors 10+._

_And for god’s sake – be quiet._

_*If necessary – apologise and run*_

The sign was taped to the glass walls of the entrance lobby to floor nine, twice, once on the right and once on the left.  Overkill perhaps, but not in the eyes of floor nine secretary pool, who felt that they were more than necessary.

For the past week the left hand offices of floor nine, and much of the surrounding corridor had become ‘venture at own risk’ territory….

Chris Larabee was on the warpath.

 

***

Chris shifted uneasily as he ignored the uncomfortable tingling blossoming into a constant itch between his shoulder blades, attempting to complete the remnants of what had initially been a mammoth pile of paperwork; which over the past nine days had dwindled to the last few and least liked tasks.

The itch, as well as a stinging tightness across his scalp and hair raised irritatingly against his neck, were all just the physical factors of his general state of restlessness of the past week. This unspecific anxiety and agitation enhanced the ‘Bad Element’ persona, resulting in one short tempered and wrathful Christopher Larabee.

It wasn’t the infuriated aggravation that only Ezra could provoke,  nor the maddening exasperation that was Vin Tanner’s trademark, but it was a deep uneasy sense of just _wrong._

He couldn’t hunt down a perp, make a bust, turn some evidence or crack a case to make the niggling feeling of disquiet go away…indeed, there was nothing but time that would make everything _right_ in his world again.

Glancing at his watch, and noting the 4:39pm time stamp, Chris shook his head ruefully, dropped his pen into the top drawer of his desk, straightened the small pile of documents and placed them in his ‘to do’ tray. 

Pushing his chair in neatly as he got to his feet and grabbed his leather bag and coat from behind the door, Chris wandered into the main area, closing and locking his office door behind himself and made his way to the break room to retrieve his water bottle from the fridge.

Entering the widespread mess of various desks that made up his teams personal work spaces Chris   sighed at its nigh on deserted state. He turned to the centre of the room where two desks were parallel, finding JD fiddling with something on his phone; the boy looked up when he felt Chris’s gaze.  The young man was seated to the side of his own desk, feet up on the mirror image opposite, Buck not there to protest the abuse of his table.  JD’s bag rested on the floor by his chair, his desk a neat orderly chaos of misshapen paperwork and…Yes, a rubber chicken.  JD grinned, obviously taking in Chris’s own preparations to leave and widened his eyes beseechingly, trying hard not to look longingly at the door.

“Oh fine…get out of here...” Chris capitulated, making an abortive shooing motion, shaking his head at JD’s exuberant ‘Whoop!’ 

The youngster was almost out the door as Chris called after him, “Six o’ clock JD…and watch the road!” He caught what could have been an assuring agreement or something else entirely, and Chris snorted affectionately to himself as he turned to the only other present member of his team.

“Leaving early, Mr Larabee?… Your fellow workaholics will be most displeased…” the silky tone reached his ears despite Ezra being bent over his desk, his back to Chris, head down, pen scrawling across the page at a steady rate.

“Benefits of being the boss I suppose….speaking of workaholics…are you just about done?  Much longer and it’ll be after hours and I may have to mark it in my calendar…” Chris quipped.

Ezra finally turned to look at him, “Most amusing…but I wouldn’t recommend giving up your day job…as for this, a few moments more and then I shall lodge it in preparation for first thing Monday….”

Chris nodded his understanding as he replied, “Okay…I’ll see you in a few hours then…”

Ezra flexed the fingers of his hand, “Yes, I’ll attain myself a change of clothing from home and then I shall be on my way…I look forward to seeing the rest of our motley crew as well…”

Chris grinned at the thought, irritated restlessness  easing as he thought on the approaching evening, the dark cloud of his disquiet fading as he headed towards the door, throwing over his shoulder, “….Give us a call before you leave, the roads are a mess…”

He politely ignored the muttered “Yes, mother” as he left the office, Ezra’s pen already scraping on paper behind him.

***

Each step Chris took along the corridor saw his mood lightening. The storm cloud that had hovered over the team 7 office finally dissipated to soft sunshine with rebellious thunder growling in the distance. The small smile on his face during the whole 7.5 minute wait for the elevator had the two young ladies from team 1 terrified.

 His humming in the subsequent 3 minute ride to the garage caused one man to get off on the wrong floor and another to wander around for the rest of the evening humming an awfully catchy yet unknown tune, which he then passed onto his eldest daughter, who passed it onto her boyfriend, who passed it to his younger brother and so on and so forth, thus creating an ‘earworm’ epidemic on the east side of the city.

Despite the frigid cold that immediately leached all warmth lingering from his body as he stepped into the garage, Chris didn’t bother to stop and pull the heavy winter coat on, knowing that the interior of his truck would be toasty warm within a few moments. 

Taking his own advice to the two younger men, he eased onto the icy highway carefully, staying safety under the speed limit as the white snowfall became heavy mounds of pillow soft coldness against the frozen sidewalks and lawns.  The road had recently been swept clear of any gathering snow yet Chris knew that it would only be moments before build ups began again. Visibility was pretty decent for the moment, but he knew that it wouldn’t stay so, not with the blizzard they had predicted for later in the evening – hence, part of his wish to be home early.

The drive from the ATF building to his ranch was just under an hour and Chris hummed the whole way.

Finally, in an hour…just one hour’s  time and the irritating _wrong_ would be _righted…_ the niggling feeling of unease which hadn’t left him for the past week and a half would finally settle as he got all six of his men in _the_ _same place at the same  time._

Naturally, being a team, the seven spent a lot of their time together; working together, socializing together and in some cases, living together.  Thankfully they all got along well and enjoyed each other’s company and had formed close bonds of friendship and brotherhood.  

As with any group of people who spent a large quantity of their time together, sometimes they did require breaks, time away from each other; Buck sought the company of various woman friends, Ezra his upper society lifestyle, Josiah his quiet reflective culture within the church, Nathan enjoyed Rain’s company and JD his technological escapes, and more recently, Casey’s companionship.  Chris and Vin didn’t seek respite from each other; content with the quiet peacefulness that fell between them, neither encroaching on the others space.  Yet, Chris escaped to his ranch when memories became too much and Vin sometimes lit out for the mountain trails alone for a few days, one with nature when the hustle and bustle of city life wore him down.

Despite this need for solitude and individual peace, team 7 had become more than just a team; they were family, many of them placing the entirety of their self-worth and being in the make-up of the group, and as such, divined their respect, affection, confidence and persona from the team as a whole…it was perhaps a little too co-dependent or inter-reliant and in some teams, may have been cause for concern…but for team 7, who boasted the highest bust rate, lowest civilian casualty rate and several international records amongst them…whatever they were doing, it worked.

Which is why, after not having had the entire team in the same place, at the same time, under his watchful eyes, in over a week, Chris Larabee was like a mama bear who had misplaced one of her cubs. As the leader, father figure, authority holder, and protector of his team, this unusual separation caused undirected concern as well as emotional strain.

***

The truck clock, glowing bright orange in the cab showed the time as being just after 6:20pm and he knew he was halfway home.

He expected a warm house when he walked in, the fireplace roaring, coffee percolating and barbecue fired up; after all, Josiah and Buck had been there since lunch time and Nathan only a couple of hours later.

Buck and Josiah had been called away to testify at an out of state trial last Thursday, and had been gone since then, the travel time and court case both taking longer than approximated due to weather and jury issues respectively.  Coincidentally, Nathan had been signed up for a paramedic’s training course and seminar that started on Monday and ran the whole week…and upon realizing that with not only his absence but Josiah’s as well, the team would be down the only two members ‘with even a modicum of common sense’ and out of fear of returning to find the rest of the team in various states of injury and worse, had all but begged Chris to put a hold on their case load.

Chris had agreed, although only after Nathan had agreed to amend his ‘most responsible’ list to include Chris in at least a part time status. As a result he’d used the opportunity to fulfill several obligations and promises he’d been putting off.

Chris himself had bitten the bullet and immersed himself in the monotonous mountain of paperwork that he never seemed to ‘get around to’, although, to his credit, he’d made the wise decision of keeping Ezra as his lackey…minion…underling… assistant.  Of all his men, Ezra with his enhanced vocabulary, exemplary penmanship and considerable experience, always produced the clearest and most concise reports, and Chris had taken advantage of that in the past week – already the agent had completed the quarterly expense report, requisite back up reports, annual data referral and was apparently lodging the budget assessment this afternoon – all of which would have taken Chris at least a month…the man was seriously a godsend.

 

JD had been requisitioned by several other teams, each having solicited the young tech’s help at various points in the past for non-urgent matters. JD had spent Monday with team 6, explaining one of the new software systems that they had to use. He’d spent Tuesday morning in the tech labs on the fifth floor explain something Chris had barely understood even after the third time JD had explained it to him. Karen, team 4’s new tech agent, fresh from the academy, had begged JD to show her the best way to handle the complete technophobes that made up her team, keeping him busy most of Wednesday.  Thursday and Friday had been met with more of the same. 

Despite the fact that each ATF team had its own ‘Tech proficient’ agent and the building having an actual ‘tech department’ JD was still in high demand…he was exceptionally talented technology-wise, the same as many of the other ’techies’ in the building, but he also came with his own built in ‘normal-ese’ translator, and was able to explain the intricacies of whatever issue had arisen without making his audience feel like they were lost in some horror/Sci-Fi movie.

Vin had finally capitulated _(been forced)_ to speak _(demonstrate)_ at the annual ATF marksmanship conference in New York. The Texan had been invited _(bribed)_ every year for the past 4 years, but had _(as expected)_ refused. The conference was relatively short, only two days _(Two days of hell Chris!)_ , specifically Tuesday and Wednesday this year, and once realizing that it fell within their ‘week of Bureaucratic extracurricular ’ Chris had made the decision that Vin would be going this year, citing it as a method of brushing up his people skills ( _Sure Chris!…Hi I’m Vin…this is my Rifle…_ )

Vin had been slightly _(incredibly)_ stubborn in his unwillingness to attend, even going so far as to downright refuse. He didn’t like crowds _(New York City),_ didn’t like the travel plans (Airplane),and really  didn’t like the idea of ‘showing off’ - to him his ability with a rifle was just that – ability.         Not a talent or gift to be bragging about.

 He’d said as much to Chris, who was sympathetic but had shot down most of his arguments  - It wouldn’t be crowded – as a private ATF function, only Agents, cadets and brass were invited, -– He had shaken his head ruefully at Vin’s unwillingness to ‘show off’,  the man was beyond brilliant with a rifle but still acted as though he was merely sufficient.

In the end Chris had gently coaxed and cajoled ( _threatened_ ) until Vin had (reluctantly) agreed to attend…on one condition – he wasn’t flying. And he wouldn’t be shifted from that stance, no matter how Chris cajoled and coaxed ( _threatened_ ), and so it was agreed that Vin would also have the week off –Sunday and Monday to drive to New York, Tuesday and Wednesday for the conference and then Thursday and Friday to return home.

It seemed ridiculous to drive almost two days when a three hour flight was available, but knowing how uncomfortable Vin could  get in enclosed spaces, and especially as he would be on his own, minus the team, Chris had approved the arrangements.

And so the team had been split apart, fragmented all across the country for the past week and a half…and Chris couldn’t look more forward to the time when everything would finally fall back into place.

***

Ten minutes out from his place Chris heard his phone ding softly… once, twice.  He pulled over, easing onto the white covered shoulder as he grabbed his phone from his bag, assuming correctly that the approaching blizzard was playing havoc with the signal and he’d just driven into a ‘clear’ stretch.

 

**_You have 2 new messages, you have 2 saved messages._ **

**_Message received today at 6:28pm –_ **

_“Mr Larabee – As per your instructions –I am departing Denver now and shall see you in approximately one hour”_

**_To send a copy press 1, to save pre.._ **

**_-_ ** _5_

**_Message Deleted_ **

**_Message Received today at 6:34pm –_ **

_“jus’ got home – grabbing my sweats and ‘ll be on my way…see ya before 8”_

**_To send a copy press 1, to save press 2, to repl.._ **

**_-_ ** _5_

**_Message De…_ **

Tucking the phone back in his bag Chris didn’t bother hiding his smile.

Everything was as it should be.

***

Chris rolled to a stop in his driveway just before 7pm, gathering his armful of belongings he headed towards the warmly lit house, already able to hear Buck’s grousing and JD’s bellows of a kid too long separated from his older brother. He passed the inky blackness of the barn, not even starlight breaking through the steadily growing greyness of the sky. He smiled as a soft nicker greeted him, knowing that at some stage in the next two days all seven horses would have the company of their owners. Continuing on towards the house Chris shivered as something cold and wet landed on the exposed skin of his neck, and sure enough, it was starting to snow; he hurried his pace only to be startled for an instant when the soft glow of the porch light lit the front yard.

Then the front door opened and Buck stood silhouetted in the frame.

“Old Dog!” he crowed, launching himself down the steps and divesting Chris of his bag.

Smiling deeper, Chris strode up the steps, towards the warm glow spreading from the welcoming doorway. Buck stepped out of the way as Chris passed him, shutting the door, closing in the warmth that the night air was trying to leach away.

Chris, against his usually anal impulses, slung his jacket at the nearest seat, easily covering most of JD’s head and only the boy’s fast reflexes saving him from being brained with the leather satchel as Buck copied his motion. Snorting as Buck, obviously re-seating himself on the floor at JD’s feet, roared with laughter, making JD light up as well, Chris moved to warm his hands in front of the cheery open fireplace blazing merrily in the den. He heard the final jingle, indicating that someone had locked the door behind them, and then the belying soft footfalls that Chris immediately recognized as Nathan’s marked the medic’s passage into and then his return from the kitchen.

“Coffee…” it wasn’t a question, but then it didn’t need to be as Chris accepted the warm mug from his friend and allowed himself to be shepherded to his armchair in the den…obviously he wasn’t the only one who had felt the niggling unease. Settling in the comforting familiarity of his chair, Chris found he didn’t really mind Nathan’s hovering. The medic, having already squared JD away with his own blanket and mug in the matching armchair, was obviously still waiting on his two prime targets.

As if reading his mind, Nathan enquired, “Vin and Ezra?”

Buck and JD looked up, intent on hearing the information despite Buck having JD’s leg trapped beneath his arm and JD’s hand in a lax grip on his ‘weapon of choice’ – the magazine from the side table.

Chris answered, “Ez should be here in half an hour or forty five minutes, and Vin’s not too far behind him…Josiah?”

Nathan nodded to the kitchen as he leaned against the wall beside the currently off Television. He’s been in there for the last hour _perfecting_ his Chili...” From where Buck continued, “Although how much more perfect you can get after re-heating I’ll never know”

Chris smirked at the truth to the statement, although he knew Josiah’s obsessive relationship with his Chili and so wouldn’t question the man…was just thankful that he hadn’t had to cook after the last week he’d had.

Josiah’s salt and pepper head stuck itself around the door frame and he pointed a rather menacing sauce covered spoon at the ladies’ man, “I heard that Buck Wilmington!...Just because you don’t understand the finer joys of the culinary profession doesn’t mean  …”

Buck held his hands up pleadingly, determined not to be excluded from Josiah’s Chili as had happened with the offended chef in the past, “Oh no Josiah…you have me all wrong…I only meant that your Chili is perfect without anything further!”

Josiah looked at him suspiciously, not fooled in the least before giving it up, slipping into an easy grin, “Well…I suppose that your intended meaning outshines the assumed one…very well…”  he disappeared and the sound of the spoon clattering into the sink was heard before the man reappeared in the den, seating himself on the three seater sofa.

“So, I hear that Vin and Ezra are not far away…how did your week with our intrepid southerner go?” the ex-preacher asked, turning his attention to Chris.

Chris grinned, wondering if he was brave enough to skew the truth, _just a little_ , but decided against it. After all…it wouldn’t do to insult the help…“I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but he has been indispensable…hasn’t caused me one headache all week…in fact he saved me more than one… ”

Josiah laughed delightedly, “Perhaps Mr Tanner is more to blame for their shenanigans than we had realized…I have to say, it is always the quiet ones…”

Nathan snorted, “Vin has yet to pull the wool over my eyes, got the devil in him that one…”

Chris broke into laughter, glad to have the team reassembling before him, “I actually think, and I’ve thought on this a lot…way more than I should have…but Vin and Ezra are like two sections of a chaos wheel and there’s only ever chaos when they are together….If I had any common sense I’d separate the pair of them…”

Buck added his own ending to Chris’s theory, “Nah…you’d never do that…they’d break your heart– between Ez’s woe begotten pout and Vin’s puppy eyes you’d be lost in an instant…besides…they’re damned entertaining… ”

Chris had to concede the point, even just the thought of Vin’s blue eyes staring at him morosely from under think lashes, tearing at his heartstrings, slathering him in thick layers of syrupy guilt and shame…..

Chris shook his head as he turned back into the conversation.

“…was quite informative…nothing I hadn’t heard before…just basic field first aid and method training…but a refresher is always good…..how did your trial go?” Nathan was asking.

Josiah answered, “Long and decidedly boring, as we expected it would be…the most exciting thing that happened was half the jury came down with strep throat and had to be excused….it was successful, which I suppose is all anyone could ask…”

JD grinned, “You make it sound like you _want_ one of Vin’s legendary trials, where judges are poisoned and defendants pull knives…” Josiah grimaced at the memory of both those cases, shaking his head ruefully, suddenly glad for the run of the mill trial he and Buck had testified at.

It was a department joke, but Vin did seem to attend a ridiculous number of trials that turned sour… at first the assumption was that he was incredibly unlucky and agents had hoped that they wouldn’t be required in the room while the Texan was present… and then the tide had changed, because Vin…and everyone else in the room, always walked away unscathed… he became the ‘lucky SOB’ instead.

“Speaking of Vin…have you heard how our shy young Texan coped in the big apple?”

Chris grimaced, and reached to grab his bag from where JD had dumped it on the table between their seats, and pulled his cell phone from its depths.

 

**_You have no new messages, you have 2 saved messages._ **

**_Message received, Tuesday 4th December, 2012 at 7:11pm_ **

_“…..ya heart out an’ feed it ta the crows and then I’ll…… ‘ ack at the damn motel…its damn cold…room’s too damn small and I damn well hate it!.................._

_I had ta go first!....didn’ have a clue what I was meant ta be doin…he say’s shoot the target and so I does and then he just stares at me…an finally says…”I meant the 20 foot ones…exactly how far can you shoot with that accuracy, Tanner?!........._

_So then we had to test it….._

_In fron’  of ever’one…..and you said there wouldn’t be a crowd…just a few agents and officials…it’s a damn sports event Chris…ya can buy damn tickets_

_…people wanted my damn Autograph!_

_Aaagh damn it all to hell…and damn you to Lar’bee…go back ta where ya came from!_

_Aint no way in hell I’m ever gonna forgive ya!”_

**_Beep_ **

**_To send a copy press 1, to save pre.._ **

_-7_

**_Message received, Wednesday 5th December, 2012 at 7:32pm_ **

**_“_ ** _This message was transmitted from hell….._

**_beep_ ** _……be home Friday night…._

_Then I might forgive ya… **beep”**_

****

**_To send a copy press 1, to sav_ **

**_Beep_ **

****

JD was laughing so hard that he had all but toppled from the seat onto Buck, who really wasn’t fairing much better, “Damn Junior!   He sure ain’t too happy with you, Chris!”

Nathan had to seat himself on the ground from his position of leaning against the wall, easily able to hear the frustrated personality of their friend emanating from the phone…probably did the boy good, having to accept some recognition for his talents.

Josiah was grinning broadly at Chris’s rueful features, the blond suddenly unsure about the reception he’d receive in the next while, once the Texan walked through the door.  Vin hadn’t exactly been very amicable…particularly not during the first message. He shook it off though, easily able to decipher true anger from flustered mortification…which positive attention always wrought from the younger man.

Sure, he would have to watch doorways for buckets of water and desks for nefariously placed stink bombs…but overall he figured he was pretty safe.

He was just handing the phone to the still madly cackling JD, who obviously wanted a replay, when the damn thing started ringing in his hand nearly making him drop it in his startled shock.

 

Two rings later:

**“Larabee…”**

_“Ah! Than-k god Masta…Mista Lar-Larabee…I had did not think you would...it was a le-leave a message- I don’ wanna leve a mess…I wanta talk to Mi Mast ….Chris!.”_

**“Ezra….Ez is that you…what..?”**

Chris saw Nathan immediately sit up straight, all recent humor forgotten…he also saw Buck start to pull on his shoes.

_“It is indee…Ezaa – Ez’a…oh posh..Ez….I has to call…”_

**“Are you hurt Ez…What’s going on?”**

_“H-hurt nuh…nope..not hurt..not me!...nope jus’…”_

**“Ezra…are you drunk?!”**

Josiah looked up sharply…if he’d only left half an hour ago – how could he possibly be drunk?

_“No –nope…Dunce…not drin-drinka and drive…stupid egghead…”_

**“So you’re driving….where are you?”**

_“Note…not drivin…car is stooped…stopped…wonta go anoa mora…. **”**_

**“Your car won’t go?…Ez – are you in your car? what the hell, Ezra…you’d better not be having me on!….”**

Nathan turned from his hastily fetched first aid kit to raise his eyebrows…if this was a stupid prank…

_“No!...not koke..joke…I’m in – was drivi- driving…car won go…won move…”_

**“Your car won’t move?...is it stuck in the snow…have you got a proper connection on your phone…I think your breaking up…you’re not making much sense…?”**

_”Phone…black spot…stupid…finally…Oh! I no a know why - Know why car won go -won go…”_

**“You know why..Ez…whats wrong - ”**

_“Ma car..mah jag..ma bab-”_

**_“_ Ezra! _”_**

_“It’s upside do-down!”_

 

***

Twelve minutes later found Buck, Nathan and Chris all piled into the black Ram…barrelling down the driveway, wipers trying to clear a visible path in the ever thickening snowfall.

JD and Josiah had stayed, JD attempting to rouse an Ambulance  on the steadier landline,  Josiah because there was simply not enough room in the truck.

Nathan, in the backseat, had Chris’s phone plastered to his ear, despite the speaker blaring, the phone was still hard to hear in the roar of the cab, and was steadily talking to the still rambling southerner, and occasionally snippets of the conversation reached Chris’s ears –

  _“Is cold – alay’s col…”                 “_ **I know you’re cold…we’re coming Ez – “**

Chris turned to Buck about 5 minutes into the drive, “Try calling Vin…JD has probably already done it…but just in case…”

Buck nodded and fished out his own cell, dialling the 2nd speed dial. It didn’t ring, just went straight to voice mail, **“Junior – you must be in a black spot – uh…Ez has had an accident…we don’t know how bad yet, but he’s talking to Nate on the phone…”** there was a murmuring in the background before Buck continued, **“Chris says that depending on when you left and how far Ez got before he crashed, you may be closer to him than we are…so keep an eye out…”** another murmur and then, **“call us when you get this…drive carefully…”**

Buck chucked his phone  on the dash and turned back to scanning the roads carefully, trying to spot the shine of a silver Jag.

A few minutes later and Chris almost swerved in fright when Buck’s phone rang and the ladies’ man scrambled for it, “ **Vin?!”**

_“No- JD…What’s wrong with Vin?”_

**“Nothing kid…jut though he was returning my call…What’s the news…”**

_“Uh…right…I rang the emergency line – all roads in and out of Denver are closed…the snow sweepers had to be stopped early as well – apparently that blizzard has set in over the city really fast and heavy…they said they couldn’t get an ambulance to us…but John Peters was on shift and recognized my voice…he said that his crew would try to get to us…I – I told him no – said that Nate was back and that Ezra was talking…so I said we would try and get him back to the ranch, or break him through to Denver ourselves if we get really desperate……is…is that okay?”_

Buck could hear the hesitancy in the boys voice, but he’d made the right call and told him as such, “ **Yes – good…Ez is still blabbering…we’ll just have to see when we get there…you made the right decision, no use endangering more lives…** ”

“ _Okay…let us know as soon as you find him…Josiah and I will get the beds and anything else you might need ready…be careful…_ ”

And then the phone was silent again.

Buck clicked the disengage call button, looking down to find the little red light before throwing the phone onto the seat beside him, within reaching distance.

He looked up and something caught his eye…it wasn’t silver so he almost dismissed it, but then looked again…

“Chris!” he shouted pointing out the stooped, ambling figure of Ezra Standish as the chestnut hair glinted under snowy flakes, his eyes pinned to the road he walked beside obviously guiding his way.

Chris slammed on the brakes and the three of them were out of the car before it had even stopped moving, Ezra looked up at the sudden movement and he grinned, relief palpable before his eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped boneless to the snow.

***

Nathan reached the downed man first and shakily confirmed he had a regular steady pulse, before moving to examine the sluggishly bleeding wound inching into his hairline, “Buck – apply pressure there…the cold has helped slow the bleeding, but that’s all it’s helped…we need to get him inside…”

He ran his hands over Ezra’s torso and extremities, noting flinches and winces that pulled at the unconscious man’s face, most noticeable his left arm, “I can’t be sure he doesn’t have a back or neck injury…but I’ve done a triage scan and the fact that he was up walking reassure me…it’s not conclusive…but we can’t leave him here anyway – so Buck…help me get him in the truck…careful of his left arm, Its definitely broken…”

The three of them eased Ezra into the rear bench seat of the ram, Chris returning to the driver seat and Buck the front passenger, leaving Nathan to hold the young man still as they turned for home, fighting against the near white blur that the blizzard was becoming.

“Buck…Vin should be almost at the ranch, if not there already, so try him again – let him know we’ve found Ezra and are on our way back… ”

Buck dialed again, listening for the tell tale rings that didn’t come. Instead Vin’s voice prompted him to leave a message again, **“Vin – we have Ez and are going to the ranch because the roads are closed through to Denver…give us a call when you get this…or we’ll see you when we get back to the ranch…** ’

Buck hung up, and turned to look over his shoulder at the pair in the back, Nathan’s attention was riveted on his patient. Turning back to Chris , Buck sighed in sympathy, the road was an invisible mess, slippery and deceiving, visibility was non-existent and Chris was white knuckling the wheel, trying to get them home in one piece…there was something else though.

“What is it?” He asked of his oldest friend, hoping not to distract Chris from his task, but knowing whatever was worrying the blond in this situation had to be serious.

Chris relaxed minutely as attention was drawn to how tense he was as he answered, “Its Vin…he should have passed us on the road – If he wasn’t far behind Ezra….”

Buck nodded, the same thought had crossed his own mind, but as he had convinced himself, he reassured Chris – “There are 4 or 5 other roads Vin could have taken – Ez always takes this one cos its easiest on the Jag…but Vin and that Jeep….”

Chris nodded in reluctant agreement, “I’ll kill him if he did take one of those roads – he agreed –not in bad weather…”

Buck sniggered despite the situation, “Did he actually agree or did he just make you think he had….he’s more like Ez than we give him credit for…I’m sure he’s fine…look!….I can see the ranch lights…”

And sure enough, in the distance the warm glow of safety beckoned and Chris drove ever onward.

***

They arrived back at the ranch a several long torturous minutes later, noting the absent of Vin’s jeep but were swept up in the rush to get Ezra checked over and settled inside, warm and secure.

Buck and Nathan eased the still unconscious man onto ‘his’ bed, in the room he usually shared with Vin, the small electric heater liberated from the basement to heat the room.  

Nathan immediately swarmed him, utilising Josiah and Chris to assist in stripping away the wet clothes and replacing them with a set of Buck’s sweats – much too long in the leg but the right size at the waist when held firm with the drawstring.

Nathan confirmed that the the southerner didn’t appear to have a back or neck injury, thankfully, and also confirmed the previously diagnosed broken arm, which he splinted and wrapped until the swelling went down. The head injury was deemed mostly superficial, although certainly the cause of a significant concussion that, along with the cold, had caused the incoherency.

Shock, cold and fatigue had rendered him unconscious, but Nathan was fairly sure that he would wake within the next hour and then would have to be monitored every subsequent two--- which he was already dreading – Ezra the non-morning person, who loved his sleep, forcibly awakened every two hours for the sadistic pleasure of his ‘so called friends’

All in all, though, it seemed Ezra had gotten off fairly lightly.

***

The five, minus Ezra and Vin, had settled around the dinner table, Nathan having just returned from checking on the still out Ezra- whom he reported, was showing signs of waking.

The men were slowly eating their way through Josiah’s pot of Chili, some put aside for Ezra and Vin. However, despite the fact that the southerner had been found and was resting just down the hall, and apparently not too worse for wear, the atmosphere in the room was somber.

The cause – Vin’s worrisome absence… they had tried calling him again to no avail, and each had checked their phones for missed calls…but there was nothing at all. They had briefly considered splitting up to search for him, but not knowing what road he had taken and most of the cars being suited for the terrain as much as Ezra’s Jag, changed their minds.  The main road had been hell enough, most of the others would be not be traversable, even for Chris’s Ram.

So they were at a cross roads, unable to move forwards or backwards, let alone left or right…

Chris pulled out his phone and left another message, the 12th  in the past hour since they had found Ezra, “ **Vin…Where the hell are you…I swear to god, if you forgot your cell or its flat again…Ezra could have been killed…where the hell are you?!** ”

Each message had been getting steadily angrier as worry and frustration took their toll, but there was really nothing anyone could do.

“Do you think…I mean…Vin couldn’t have crashed his jeep with the Jag right?” JD finally voiced the ludicrous theory that had crossed all their minds at some point.

It was Josiah who answered, “ Not that I can possibly see…he was travelling well after Ezra and Ez surely would have said something…no, banish it from your mind JD…the fates are not that unkind….”

“Then where the hell is he!” Chris ranted getting to his feet, pacing out his anxiety…Its freezing out there and I ju-” he cut off abruptly as something caught his eye and he stared, a gut feeling of absolute dread sinking into the pity of his stomach.

The bright cheery digital ‘2’ was flashing on his landline answering machine.

No one spoke, despite their concern, as Chris took the three mammoth steps - each a slow, herculean effort; reaching the bench and taking a shuddering breath he pressed the play ‘messages button’.

**_Message received, Friday 7 th December, 2012 at 6:41pm_ **

 

Vin’s slightly tinny voice engulfed the room.

 

**_“Chris – tried your cell but ya didn’ answer , mus’ be the storm…I – sorry , damn…my box of bolts won’t start so I guess I won’ be seein’ ya tonight after all…uh…say hi to the rest of the guys…and  - I  - I think –k the powers gonna go here…kee-ps flickering…guess I-ll see ya later…”_ **

 

As he hung up, the whole room breathed a tremendous sigh of relief…Vin was just at home – with no power…. Alone…but ok.

 

**_Message received, Friday 7 th December, 2012 at 6:47pm_ **

 

**“Chris, me again – I’ll see ya in an hour! –Ez is swinging past to get me in 5.”**

*******


	2. Its Not What it Seems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just because... it had to happen this way :)

** Its Not What it Seems **

****

The shiny silver bodied Jag was nothing more than a slightly darker shadow in the blinding whirlwind of the blizzard, invisible against the snow banked tree it had jarred to a stop by, upside-down and half buried beneath several feet of icy whiteness. The driver’s door was gaping wide open; the window smashed, and the corresponding door light was weakly flooding the interior.

Obscured by the flurries of snowflakes that the storm blew through the vehicle, the light flickered madly as it fought against wet circuitry. Haphazardly illuminated specks of shattered glass shone crystalline and radiant on the carpeted ivory roof of the jag, interspersed by bright red droplets, before the light sizzled and sputtered, finally falling into blackness.

Not, however, before the image was completed by the lax paleness of a slender hand, long fingers just brushing the roof, a trail of red flowing in a slow rivulet, curling around the wrist, pooling into the slightly cupped palm and then escaping between fingers to add to the ever-growing lacework on the carpet beneath.

 

***

“We must have missed it Chris…No way Ezra made it this far…” Nathan called from his seat in the back of Chris’s truck, loud enough to be heard over the wind, yet smoothly so as not to startle the already stressed and tense driver.

Chris denied the urge to put his foot to the floor, doing his best to ignore the instinctual need for haste, instead continuing to idle along at the extremely slow pace he had set when they had reached where they thought they had first seen Ezra, assuming that in his injured and confused state that the Southerner hadn’t come very far from the actual crash site.

That had been 20 minutes ago.

Chris clenched the wheel, eyes straining into the maelstrom of white, searching for something, anything, that would reveal the location of Ezra’s Jag. He knew Nathan was probably right, but the thought that they may turn back now, when Vin could be just past the next tree or beyond the next bend was too appalling to comprehend.

“No… just a bit further…Ez is a stubborn ass; he would have walked as far as he needed to help Vin”

 

Josiah, taking Buck’s place as chief lookout  in the passenger seat this time, met Chris’s words with a heartfelt, “Amen to that…” before turning his full attention back to the search and his fervent silent prayers.

Nathan conceded, eyes still glued to the window, unable to convince himself that by looking left he wouldn’t miss something on the right. Yet with Chris splitting his concentration between searching and driving, although certainly more heavily in one direction, it was the left that needed Nathan’s eyes the most, leaving Josiah to cover the right.

Visibility was close to zero as Chris inched along where he best estimated the road to be, the tar invisible beneath several inches of white.  Swirling masses of pristine flakes lit up the inky blackness as the headlights struggled to break through the density. In the hour and a half since they had found Ezra, the blizzard had truly set in over the region. 

In the three minutes between hearing Vin’s final message and tearing down the driveway at a speed that was not safe during any weather, Chris had directed Buck and JD to remain at the ranch, tasked with keeping an eye on Ezra and finding out anything he knew as soon as he awoke.

He hadn’t heard from them yet, but assumed the blizzard was partially responsible as well as just their atrocious cell reception in general. He knew he needed to be patient, both for information from the ranch and in their attempt to find Vin … yet for all his calm, confident and firm persona and despite his ability to be project patience in necessary circumstances; he truly wasn’t a very patient man.

Which is why this painstakingly slow search was just about killing him, every second more was another second Vin was out here in the cold and dark, alone and most probably hurt… the worst, though, was that he was perhaps frightened. 

Chris knew, that Vin was tough and naturally so, molded that way by life and living, not by choice. Far from having lived a sheltered life, Vin had all but raised himself, street-wise, nature-wise and world-wise. After everything Vin had seen and experienced, Chris knew he’d be hard pressed to find something that truly frightened the younger man.  Sure, small places sometimes pushed him into memories of times past, yet at heart, these were an issue of control and not of fear.

Vin was not afraid of being on his own; in fact, he often preferred it that way, taking to his quiet solitude and freedom of wide expanses of empty space with more ease than a fish to water.  Chris knew however, that after so many years with nothing and no one but himself to rely on, there were only two things that Vin truly feared, and they went hand in hand, being alone and trusting others beyond the superficial.

Being alone.  Not being on his own – an extremely important distinction and not one that most people could understand in more than a superficial manner.  Vin had been alone for as long as he could remember, relying on none and trusting no one but himself, and sometimes not even that.

A child, lost and broken, learned self-preservation and how to grow.

A teen, alone and at risk of corruption, learned strength of self and right over easy- _every time._

A young man, overly independent and unable to trust, learned quiet confidence and eventually about love.

Vin had finally found what he knew was his place in this world and any other, more than just a part of a team, more than just colleagues, more than just friends even, although surely that…but of family.

And although they had rarely ever spoken of it, indeed, they’d never actually said the words, Chris knew that Vin was terrified of losing them… and probably always would be, no matter what Chris said; being alone was just too deeply ingrained into Vin’s very soul.

Trust was irrevocably connected to this, Vin had never learned to trust, never had any reason to and had always been proven right in his wariness. Trust is not easily given, even for those self-assured and surrounded by love, yet for Vin he had thought it perhaps completely impossible.

He had never been more thankful to be proven wrong… in fact, it had not taken long to ignite, just a tiny spark of trust which they had breathed into a small flame, and finally fuelled a raging inferno of loyalty, love and trust.

Unshakable and without limitations, the trust between Vin and each of the other six was all but unbreakable, and that specifically between himself and Vin, Chris was almost certain _was_ unbreakable.  Yet...should something unspeakable, something inexpressible occur… even so much as a tragic miscommunication, Chris was afraid that Vin would _never_ trust again.

And the thought, as sentimental as it sounded, did more than just break his reawakened heart; it pulverised his already scar ridden soul.  Vin had given him back something. Completely inexplicable and without possibility of understanding…but Chris knew that Vin had brought him back to life and the thought that he may believe that Chris had abandoned him in the cold and dark, hurt and alone…

Well – that did break his heart.

Chris was pulled from his chaotic and rather maudlin thoughts and his eyes from the white bleached landscape when his phone suddenly chimed a number of times. He eased to a stop, despite his almost rabid need to keep looking and fished the phone from the floor near Josiah’s feet where it had fallen during their early hectic pace.

They had signal.

And 6 missed calls from the Ranch.

Hitting his 7th speed dial he waited as the call connected and the ringtone sounded in his ear.

_*Ring-ring*_

_*Ri-*_

_“…Chris?”_

**_“Buck…I’ve got signal, but you’d better make it fast…we’ve had to stop looking to keep the signal…”_ **

_“Right...no Vin?”_

**_“Not yet…we’re near where Ezra was walking…at least we’re pretty sure…hard to tell with all this damn snow…”_ **

_“Oh…uh, he can’t be far then! … ”_

**_“That’s what we figured, but we’ve been going a good 20 minutes… ”_** ‘Nate...yeah...I’ll ask’ “ ** _How’s Ezra?_** ”

_“He woke up about half an hour ago, he’s a bit confused, and got upset when Vin wasn’t here…seems he was ‘going for help’…told him it’s not his fault but he’s not really with it…did find out what happened, sorta…they hit a deer, fishtailed, then flipped and rolled… Ez thinks they were stopped by a tree if that helps.”_

**“Yeah…a tree okay…..** _” ‘_ what… yeah…I’m sure…okay, okay! _’ “_ **Nathan says remember to wake Ez in a little while and have him drink something and…** _” ‘_ warm? _’ “_ **And make sure he’s warm enough…** _”_ ‘Nate…yes...Buck’ “ **Does he have a fev…** ”

“ _Tell Nate not to worry, he’s got enough on his plate with the other trouble twin, I’ve got this one… I have plenty of experience with head injuries… …tell him I heard that…if there’s a problem and I can’t get a hold of you I’ll have JD patch me through to Denver General…go, find Vin and bring him home…_ ”

**“Okay…see you soon.”**

_*Click*_

The phone on the seat beside Josiah, Chris started forward again, three sets of eyes peering intently into the blinding patches of white, searching for a hint of silver.

***

“Chris, we’ve gone too far… I think we need to turn back…” Nathan tried again 10 minutes later, and this time Chris sighed and slowed to a stop, searching into the storm with desperate eyes before he was forced to make his way back, perhaps closer, perhaps further from their friend in desperate need of help.

He could hear Josiah muttering under his breath as the older man also looked out into the darkness. Josiah hadn’t said much the entire time they had been looking, desperately seeking that glint in the snow that would lead them to Vin. 

The whole team held a special place in Josiah’s heart but the quiet young tracker was slightly different…he reminded Josiah so much of Hannah sometimes that he couldn’t breathe… so full of life and kindness and beauty, yet so close to having been broken.

Like Hannah had been.

At first he had wondered why Vin had pulled through and emerged from the darkness into the light, whereas his sister hadn’t, and initially he had been slightly embittered, resenting the Texan his happiness.

Then he’d seen JD gazing at Vin in utter worship and Vin had just returned a soft grin and the way Buck’s rough-housing was always met with enthusiasm, as were the bear hugs and hair ruffles, albeit with much grousing.

 Nathan clucked away like a mother hen after all of them, yet Vin always hated the fussing, deplored being a burden and often tried to get out of Nathan’s reach, yet he never resented it.  Ezra explaining an unfamiliar phrase or complex word, and Vin soaking it up like a sponge…and boy, _the memory_ on that kid.

And Chris, waking Vin from a nightmare one night after what still remained one of their toughest cases to date, shaking and pale…so small and vulnerable…yet infinitely strong, refusing the comfort until it was all but forced on him and then falling into it with humble gratitude.

And he could never resent him again, and instead found joy in the fact that while Hannah lived in a world of confused despair and that was nothing short of a tragedy; the fact that Vin hadn’t joined her there was as much a miracle.

 _‘We have a strained relationship Lord… which is more my short coming than your own, but one of your lambs needs guidance this night and I beg of you to give it, for he never will…_ ’

Chris gazed at Josiah out of the corner of his eye, able to hear certain words of his murmured prayer and while he wasn’t sure what he believed anymore, he would not forsake anything that may help Vin. He waited a moment more before looking fully at the man and Josiah nodded, turning back towards his window as Chris began to turn back the way they had come.

“Chris! Wait…I think….” Josiah suddenly sat up straight, staring out the front windscreen, into the sky above them, lost in the snowstorm’s opaque winds.

Chris slammed on the breaks and ignored Nathan’s quiet ‘oomph’ as he was thudded back into his seat. Nathan didn’t complain, instead clambering half way into the front, also trying to see out.

“What…what is it?!” Chris all but shouted, unable to see, nor fathom what had caught Josiah’s attention in the overhead space.

Josiah peered harder, getting closer to the windscreen, unable to pick out or identify what he had actually seen, but sure it was significant…”I don’t know…I think…turn off the lights…”

Chris looked non-plussed, but flicked off the headlights at Josiah’s request.

“ _What the_ ….” was Nathan’s breathed response.

It was rather apt too, as above the truck and slightly in front was a tree branch, long, straight and spindly, with three smaller branches separating out at the end, giving it a pitchfork type effect, and what was even stranger was that they could see it at all, in the inky darkness of swirling snow this branch was illuminated by a glow that was not coming from their own vehicle.

“Oh God...” Chris exclaimed and was out of the truck and disappearing into the darkness to the left of the ‘road’, running through the calf high snow like it wasn’t even there.

Nathan stopped only to grab his med kit and Josiah the industrial flashlight from near his feet before they also set off into the engulfing cold darkness.

From a long way off the road came two beams of light, shining up into the treetops, and at their origin, indistinguishable from the road in the current conditions, was the all-but-invisible silver jag, its headlights gleaming from the bank of snow attempting to swallow them and their lifesaving radiance.

***

Chris fell to his knees, half buried in the snow that was banking the upturned vehicle, not caring for the frigid cold that soaked his jeans and froze his legs, reaching into the cavernous black that was the open driver’s door, feeling cool liquid and sharpness bite at his searching hands.

Josiah dropped down behind Chris, bringing the portable light up and illuminating the scene of the accident.

Chris choked  down a yell of uncontrolled horror and propelled himself backward, half knocking Josiah to the side as he stumbled away from the car, falling to his knees in the half ring of warm light, his hands coming up to cover his eyes with a bruising crush, wanting to erase the image of…

 - doubling over, his arms crossing his stomach protectively, Chris threw up.

Josiah, half on his side, vision no longer obscured by Chris’s body, was given a clear view of the interior of the Jag and stared silently for an instant before dropping the lamp and scrambling closer with a howl of rage filled grief.

Nathan watched in stunned disbelief as THE Chris Larabee fell apart before him and Josiah berated the heavens he loved. The medic stiltedly approached the vehicle with growing dread, trying to prepare himself for what he was about to see, but knowing that it would do no good in the long run.

 A broken cry of stunned loss tore from Nathan’s chest as he knelt beside the open door, looking across the expanse of pristine white interior leather and felt covered dash.

 All he could see was red.

Bright, vein gushing liquid red coated the entirety of the inside of the car, marring every surface with morbid creeping laceworks of blood red and watery pink.

So much red.

Too much red.

Too much to walk away from breathing, they knew, each of them just knew, from experience and by instinct, that this was too much blood loss for anyone to survive… the bleed out would have been almost instant and death quick to follow.

Nathan was hardly able to tear his gaze from the red spirals and sprays against white to look upon the body of one of his best friends, a member of his family.

Vin.

Oh god.

He could have been sleeping, his face, pale, relaxed and serene, surrounded by tiny tendrils of hair, defying gravity to wisp around his face, the majority of the tangled curls dangling almost to the white carpet of the Jags roof. Nathan’s eyes were drawn to a hand, lying lax against the floor, unmoving tinged blue with frigid cold.

Held from crumpling to the floor by only the thick material of the seat belt, right arm trapped against his chest by the shoulder strap, feet saved from flopping gracelessly by his ears by the foot-well; had the car been upright, Vin could have just been asleep.

Except for the blood.

If the car interior was splattered in red than Vin himself was soaked, the largest stain spreading from the throat of his blue turtleneck and continuing on down his chest and spreading across the lap of his jeans, smaller patches covered his sleeves and what was visible of his lower legs.

With the exception of his face, which was surprisingly unblemished, but for one red drop gracing Vin’s right cheek-bone, just below his eye…Eyes which were eternally blue, staring unseeing, hidden beneath partially transparent eyelids.

Nathan felt the heat rising up within him, the undeniable feeling of confused, angry sorrow, and choked back a sob of pure anguish, unable to fathom the pointlessness of the night’s loss. He saw Chris glance up at him, eyes bottomless pits of green hell, revealing a level of grief so intense the man should already be dead.  Knowing that giving into his own grief would make him useless, he swallowed his pain and started to get to his feet, turning towards the other two; he had failed Vin, but there were others who needed his help.

His eyes caught the plastic sheen as he moved, strange in the setting of white and red, colorless, yet not…

Insignificant, his brain categorised.

Wait.

Stare.

Nathan fell into laughter, a snigger at first and then a chuckle, folding into heavy, hysterical hyperventilating laughter.

Unable to breath he began to cry, each sob torn from his chest, aching with lack of air, his face paled visibly and then turned a ruddy mix of red and pink slightly masked by the darkness of his skin.

Chris, caught in his own web of grief, turned to the distress of his friend, even though, or perhaps because Vin was gone.  Nathan was clutching his wide chest in a bruising grip as he hyperventilated, laughing desperately and crying without restraint.  Chris wondered if this was Nathan’s reaction to shock; strong, unwaveringly calm Nathan, lost to this seeming onset of uncontrollable emotions, of emotional insanity and he moved towards the medic, wanting, _needing_ to help.

From the corner of his eye he saw Josiah do the same, the large man pale and seeming smaller with sorrow, also reached to help one he could, to help Nathan.

Nathan saw them approaching and shook his head, trying to move towards the vehicle, his shock and hysteria making it a less than successful attempt. He pulled in several gulping mouthfuls of air, deliberately holding his breath to calm himself and opened his mouth to speak but was thwarted by another choking sob. He felt Josiah’s arm come around his shoulder and Chris kneel in front of him, leaning in to place his forehead against Nathan’s, the blond man flinging some of his own methods back at him.

“ _Breathe…it’s okay, just breathe…with me…m-match my breaths…_ ” Chris murmured, keeping his eyes locked on warm brown so they wouldn’t drift to shadows of blue.

Nathan tried to speak again, tried to move towards the jag again, knowing he needed to _say something, do something,_ but was thwarted by a further gasping breath and Josiah’s hand became a comforting presence on the back of his neck as he attempted to match his breathing to Chris’s knowing he needed to calm down or he’d be worthless.

He breathed in with Chris and held before breathing out, repeated and again, until each breath became easier and he finally relaxed his rigidly held body, allowing his head to slump forward onto Chris’s shoulder. Breathing regular and smooth again, and feeling less afloat, if wrung out and exhausted, Nathan didn’t move as he finally said what he’d been struggling to get out.

 “He’s alive…”

***

 

The silence rang through the air for several second after Nathan’s gasped words, even the turbulent storm seeming to understand the significance of the moment, stilling to an almost breeze.  Then, like the world letting out a deep breath, wind roared through the trees again.

The shock, horror and grief of the instance became muted and shoved to the back of his mind in favor of burgeoning hope as Chris lunged towards the car, the word repeating inside his head _‘alive.. alive... alive...’_

He ignored the shards of glass covering the foot-well as he pushed himself between the driver’s seat and the steering wheel, reaching for Vin’s form in the subdued lighting which was being further blocked by his own body.   He leaned over, intent on searching for a pulse when the light moved to his left, seeping around him again lighting up the passenger seat. His hand froze as he came face to face with the disturbing image again, unsettlement pooling back into his stomach, before he determinedly shook it off and settled two slightly shaking fingers against the pale throat.

He was rewarded a second later by a slightly fast, but strong beat beneath his fingers, and his hand moved to support Vin’s head, wrapping around the back of his neck as he moved closer, calling for Nathan over his shoulder as he searched for the wounds responsible for the blood.

For all that he was a calm presence under pressure, it still took Nathan a moment to gather himself, and he allowed the moment’s delay, knowing he needed to pull himself together and get a grip on his fluctuating emotions; Vin wasn’t dead, and Nathan’s full attention was needed. First aid kit in hand, he moved back to the car, once again in full control, if a little wrung out from the emotional rollercoaster.

“Chris – let me at him... Josiah, see if you can do anything about opening the passenger door...” Chris was already pulling out of the vehicle as Nathan spoke and the leader moved back, relieving Josiah of his light, allowing the older man to move to the opposite side of the vehicle, where the passenger door was pinned against the tree that had obviously caused Ezra and Vin’s abrupt stop.

 

 

“His pulse is pretty good and he’s breathing okay...a little shallow – but I can’t see where the bloods coming from.” Chris’s shouted voice, trying to be heard over the wind, followed Nathan as he calmly attempted to get close to Vin in the awkward confines of the vehicle, no longer panicked now that it had been established that Vin was breathing strongly.

Nathan replied without looking, “I noticed that he was breathing before – when I actually took a second to look past all the red...which _isn’t_ blood by the way....here...” he thrust his hand behind him, passing something he’d just picked up from where it had been wedged between Vin’s leg and the door.

Chris looked down at the object in his hand nonplussed for an instant and then a wide grin broke out across his face as realisation dawned, “Its cherry soda....”

Nathan snorted in amusement when he realized that Chris had worked it out and shouted back, “Yeah...seems Ezra missed him this week too... first rule of the Jag – no food or drink...”

Josiah made his way back into the circle of light, opening his mouth to give his report on the door situation when he caught sight of the plastic cup in Chris’s hand and let loose a relieved bark of humor instead, “It was just soda?  ”

Nathan sidled backwards, pushing his first aid kit out and into the snow as he managed to escape the upside down vehicle..., “Yes...Pretty stupid mistake...I should have picked up on the fact that it was _too_ red to be blood after several hours – “

Josiah cut him off as he picked up the first aid kit, “Don’t even go there brother...I think the shock just about did us all in...”

Chris adjusted the light again, propping it up against a broken branch, and turned to Nathan, “Nate, are we going to be able to move him?”

Nathan shrugged reluctantly, “Well as I see it, we don’t have much choice – he needs to be inside where its warm – he’s not hypothermic yet, the car actually did an okay job of insulating him from the weather – but he’s definitely too cold... there’s a small lump on his head, just above his ear - from the window I’d say – but I don’t think it’s too serious – I think the lack of consciousness is more a combination of cold, exhaustion, shock and having the blood rush to his head for the past two hours, rather than an issue of its own – I don’t know what other injuries he has, and I really can’t find out while he’s stuck upside down in the car..., I think our best bet is to get him back to the ranch, and go from there...”

Chris nodded his understanding, glad for Nathan’s optimistic outlook of Vin’s condition as he turned to Josiah, “What’s the story on the other door?”

Josiah shuffled a little closer, so he didn’t have to shout quite as loudly to be heard over the still roaring wing, “It’s well and truly stuck, Chris ...if we are to move Brother Vin anytime soon It’ll have to be via this door...”

Chris didn’t bother wasting time asking for a more detailed explanation but instead immediately turned to face the problem – getting Vin, who although being quite slim and possibly weighing the least out of their seven, was still a full grown man, not to mention being a complete deadweight, on top of having known and possibly unknown injuries.

Nathan had also realized all this and said as much, “This’ll be awkward, but I can’t see anything for it...You’ll have to actually pull him out Chris as you’re the smallest of the three of us...try to guide him down to rest against your chest when you unclip the seat belt, so he doesn’t jar his neck or back...and watch his feet...”

Chris squeezed back into the awkward twisted position necessitated by the upside down structure of the jag and his own body’s flexibility and limberness, managing to get partially under Vin, and bracing the Texan as best he could, he pushed the seat belt release.

Nothing happened.

“Shit...Nate, the belts jammed... either of you have a knife?” he called over his shoulder, adjusting his position to be able to reach and cut the waist strap.

A moment later and he heard Nathan’s reply, “No, Josiah or I don’t have one – is there one in the truck?”

Chris grimaced as he dropped back onto the floor (roof) fully, bringing one hand up to rub wearily at his forehead, “No, I took it out last week when I had the truck detailed, I don’t think it’s got back in yet...goddamn it!”

Chris could hear Josiah and Nathan’s muted conversation from outside, but couldn’t understand what they were saying over the storm, and then Josiah’s voice boomed into his hearing range, “A long shot...but Vin wouldn’t happen to have one of his blades in his boot?”

Chris felt hope bloom in his chest as he twisted awkwardly, one hand getting purchase on the seat beside Vin’s waist and the other reaching  up towards his boot covered feet; having seen the amount of hardware Vin sometimes packed, he wondered if it might not be as much of a long shot as Josiah thought.

His search of the left and closest boot proved to be an arduous, yet inherently fruitless task, and he gracelessly moved closer, face now level with Vin’s chest, his own knees now trying to set himself against the shoulder of the seat behind the Texan.  The position was beyond uncomfortable and rather unstable and he’d only just managed to get a grip on Vin’s ankle when he felt himself shift and slip.

He caught himself against the dash, coming to a stop without accidentally elbowing or head butting Vin, but that didn’t stop the younger man from moaning hoarsely at the jarring movement of the seat he was trapped against.

Chris immediately dropped back to the bottom, his hands brushing the hair from Vin’s face as he spoke soothingly...well his tone was soothing anyway, “Goddamn texan, don’t wake up _now..._...not before I get you out of this mess....I swear to god, you wake up in here all panicked and...well, _upside –down...I’ll have no choice but to scalp y-...._ Nate! Is there a scalpel in that first aid kit of yours?”

A moment later and Chris had sawn through the seat belt binding Vin to his seat and had managed to pull Vin (still out, thankfully) far enough to the driver’s door that Josiah had managed to lift him the rest of the way out, being careful of the broken glass after a warning from Nathan.

Vin was stretched out on the hastily spread silver thermal blanket, weighed down by rocks, a branch and Josiah at each corner respectfully. Nathan bent over his patient as Chris knelt at Vin’s other side, hand gripping a lean, wool covered shoulder, providing an anchoring presence.  

Nathan’s check was quick, inhibited by both the weather and lack of appropriate equipment, “I can’t find any sign of back or neck injuries, which is good – but not conclusive...he really needs x-rays, and cat scans... Ezra too...”

Chris could see the frustration on Nathan’s face and quickly interceded, knowing they had no time or use for such recriminations, “That’s not possible at the moment – you... _we_ \- just have to do the best for them we can... we trust your judgment...”

Nodding and pushing aside his doubts, Nathan began issuing orders, “He’s cold, and more than that, he’s wet...we need to get these cherry flavoured clothes off him...I’d rather do this inside where its warmer and there’s less _snow..._ but we can’t do it in the truck without potentially worsening his injuries and its too far to the ranch, he really will be hypothermic...Josiah, there’s another thermal space blanket in the kit – Chris, help me get his shirt and jeans off...gently... ”

Between them, Nathan and Chris managed to get Vin stripped down to his cotton boxers, partially shielded from the weather by Josiah holding the second blanket up as a barrier. Chris snarled as decidedly painful looking bruises were revealed across Vin’s chest and waist, and Nathan did a check, as fast as he dared and as thorough as he could in that time, explaining, “They’re from his seatbelt...mostly just bruises – but be gentle, I’ll have to check for broken ribs back at the ranch...better if he’s awake for that...Josiah, the blanket.”

Vin, wrapped head to toe in metallic silver was carefully scooped up by Josiah, one arm at his back and the other beneath his knees.  The big man grunted with effort and staggered for a second before he was stabilised by Nathan, managing to spread Vin’s weight evenly within his grasp, he turned to follow the other two. Nathan grabbed his kit and Chris followed suit, gathering up the light and Vin’s clothes, leading the way back to the road and the way home.

***

 

The drive back to the ranch, while nowhere near as excruciatingly nerve-wracking as their search for Vin, was still dreadfully slow, the thick blanket concealing the road made only worse by the unabated wind and still falling snow. 

And yet, for all that there was next to zero visibility, low traction and an inability to correctly pinpoint direction, so absorbed by what was happening in the back seat, Chris couldn’t have told if the drive had taken 20 minutes or two hours.

As soon as they’d managed to get Vin somewhat settled across the backseat, Chris had thrown the vehicle into gear and set off in the direction of the ranch, instructing Josiah to phone ahead and let Buck and JD know they were homebound.

Nathan, half seated beside Vin and half sprawled in the tight foot space was preoccupied, both with monitoring Vin’s condition and doing his best to keep him safely ensconced on the leather seat, rather than the floor, where every bump and pothole attempted to throw him.

Three minutes into their return trip Josiah had sighed with disgust and turned to Chris, “There’s no signal...I can’t contact the ranch...”

Chris nodded, glancing in the rear view mirror, “Just keep trying...Buck and JD will have prepared for just about every possibility, but...just keep trying...”, seeing Nathan place a hand against Vin’s forehead and murmur softly, Chris raised his voice slightly to ask, “How’s he doing Nate?”

Nathan’s eyes flicked up, meeting Chris’s in the mirror, although his hand never left Vin, “He’s okay...definitely something hurting though – he’s reacting to every bump – his ribs I’d bet...and he might be coming around...just get us back to the ranch...” he turned back to sooth Vin, whom even Chris had heard cry out softly as the truck went over a hidden branch or rock.

The thought that he was causing Vin more pain made Chris want nothing more than to slow down and smooth out the drive, but he knew it wouldn’t make that much difference; not when he couldn’t see to avoid any obstacles, and so he ignored the cries and whimpers as they grew steadily more lucid and more muffled as Vin started to come to and, true to form, instinctually tried to hide his discomfort.

Nathan could see that Vin wasn’t truly aware of what was going on, cold and shock having confused and addled his mind, but even that first level of awareness urged him to protect himself; it was something that truly infuriated the medic as not much else could. Oh, it wasn’t directed at Vin to be sure, but at those who had fostered and seeded the thoughts that made Vin feel he needed to instinctually protect himself, even, or especially when he was at his weakest.

It was a longstanding fear, and it came to the fore quite often as a result of many different circumstances, although never so much as when Vin was injured. It made Nathan want to rip someone’s heart out – the mere thought that someone, multiple someone’s, had harmed Vin repeatedly, harmed him at his most vulnerable...

Sometimes Nathan Jackson hated humanity and all its cruelty.

A particularly jarring impact with something unseen beneath the snow had Chris breaking gently and cursing fervently as he controlled the resulting spin out.  Nathan lunged to grab Vin as he was lifted bodily from the seat and propelled forward without the tethering of a seatbelt and was thankful when Josiah reached back to help secure Vin’s cocooned lower body.

Vin hit the seat with a soft _whump_ and immediately went rigid, breath whistling between clenched teeth in that almost silent way that Nathan had only ever heard Vin master, and didn’t need to see the slits of unfocused blue to know that Vin was back with them.

Chris must have realized as well and slowed the truck to a stop, turning in his seat as best he could. And despite how subtle Vin’s tells were, Nathan wasn’t surprised that Chris had picked up on the change; the connection between the two was just uncanny sometimes.

The medic leant over Vin’s tense form, and was able to tell that, while fully awake, he was also at least mildly concussed, clearly exhausted and somewhat confused.  The unrelenting independent unease that made up half Vin’s coping mechanism was firmly in place.

“Vin...You with us cowboy?” Chris spoke from the front seat.

At the same time Nathan spoke, “Vin...you’re fine – we’re on our way back to the ranch”

All on top of Josiah’s “Welcome back to the fold, Brother Vin...”

In actuality, it probably sounded more like “V _iwelyoubausbactofocowbroranvioy_ ”.

Vin settled though, slumping back into his shiny silver cocoon with a softly muffled whimper, sky-blue eyes turning towards the grey-blue, brown and green pairs as he croaked out, “Ez?”

And sometimes Nathan revelled in humanity’s seemingly never-ending ability to form trust and heal, bettering itself even in the most dark of darkness’s.

***

**“ _Look JD, we’ve got Nate’s heavy kit from his car, the ranch kit from the study, and our kit...we have every first aid supply we could possibly have without conducting a full scale raid on Denver General!”_**

_“I know...but what about-”_

**_“We have more hot water, cold water, tepid water, fresh water, boiled water, boiled fresh water, cold boiled water and plain tap water than Vin could possibly need...unless you plan to drown him!”_ **

_“We should try ringing again – get an update...”_

**_“I tried them not 5 minutes ago...we’ve tried them 20 times...there’s no signal...they will ring when they can...”_ **

_“Yeah..okay...yeah...What about the fire in the den, and the one in the-”_

**_“The fire is  lit in the den...YOU lit it an hour ago, then there’s the fire in here and you’ve hijacked near every damn blanket in the house for Vin’s bed...”_ **

_“Well – it’s cold outside! Oh! Have we got the porch light on...what about the yard spotli-”_

**_“JD! The lights are on, the fires are lit, the bed is ready...we’ve done everything we possibly can!”_ **

_“What abou-”_

**_“Everything! We’ve covered everything!..sit down and shut up..I’m trying to watch the damn TV -”_ **

_“But what if we forgot something...I just feel so usele-”_

**_“AND YOU THINK I DONT!”_ **

_“...”_

**_“Aw JD...don’t...I’m sorry...come back here...”_ **

_“...sorry...”_

**_“No kid, I’m the one who’s sorry...we’re both just worried and stressed out...no excuse to take it out on you...”_ **

_“..s’okay...I just...It’s just that...well; this is kind of my fault...”_

**_“Your fault?!  They were in a crash, how could that possibly be your fault?”_ **

_“Not that part...but the messages on the machine...I called the hospital earlier...I should have checked for messages then...we would have known Vin was out there...”_

**_“...You can’t do that to yourself JD! Everyone was in a rush; panicking...no one would have thought to check the messages...”_ **

_“Yeah maybe...but if I just had-”_

**_“No maybe about it...yes, you could have checked the messages, but so could have Chris or me or any of us...hell, can’t play maybe’s in life JD, it’ll wreck you...Vin knows you would never deliberately not do something to help him...and he’s gonna be mighty pissed if you go blaming yourself...”_ **

“ _I- When you put it like that...I suppose you’re right. Thanks Buck...”_

**_“Of course I’m right...and you’re welcome”_ **

_”Say Buck?_ ”

**_“Hmm...yeah?”_ **

_“...You really watch’n ‘The breeding practices and sexual rituals of the three horned deer’?”_

**_“...”_ **

_“...”_

**_“Go check on Ezra.”_ **

_“...”_

**_“Where’s the goddamn remote...Quit laughing like some deranged hyena and go wake Ez..!”_ **

_“Me!...I just checked on him...”_

**_“You checked on him two hours ago-”_ **

_“Yeah, exactly – so it’s your turn to check on him!”_

**_“......hook, line and sinker – walked right into it!”_ **

_“Learnt from the master, Buck... don’t worry...Ez ain’t that bad...when he hasn’t been woken every two hours for the past-”_

**_“Oh shut up you...I’m going...to my death, to my untimely demise, to my merciless...”_ **

“Get back down here Buck...I can see headlights!”

***

 

JD, flinging the door open, was out the house and down the porch steps before the truck even came to a proper stop, Buck would have scolded him for his panicked rush, except for the fact that he was three steps behind him.

Chris met them at the rear driver’s side door and Buck opened it to reveal Nathan and the silver blanketed Vin.

“How...what...is he...?” the ladies man asked as he helped Nathan exit the vehicle, the medic’s legs obviously having cramped from their forced enclosure in the small space.

Chris blocked their view of Vin as he leaned into the open door, over the seat, talking softly as Josiah came around to their side of the vehicle.

Nathan answered Buck’s worried half question, “He’s cold, tired, and sore...took a bump to the head and possibly some rib damage...I don’t know what else...but I’m...optimistic...”

JD, obviously remembering Vin’s aversion to the cold and previous experiences asked, “How cold – not hypothermia...again...or frostbite?”

Nathan moved back, allowing Chris to help guide Vin out and into Buck’s waiting arms as he answered, “No – thankfully – just cold...and-”

“And he don’t much like bein’ talked over like a side-a beef!” came the raspy, weak interruption as Vin allowed himself to be carted towards the house with minimal fussing.

“Vin...you’re awake! Are you okay? Nate says your cold...are you cold? I got lots of blankets for you-” JD babbled happily, knowing by previous experience that if Vin was not only awake but complaining than he wasn’t in any danger of dying in the next two minutes.

Vin was saved having to answer by Chris interrupting, “JD, go and ring Denver Emergency and let them know we’re all present and accounted for...just a courtesy...Nate, where do you want Vin?”

Nathan pointed up the stairs, “His room if Buck can carry him a bit further, then we don’t have to move him twice...do you need a hand Buck?”

Buck grinned as he gently hoisted Vin higher, his sudden relief making him lightheaded and giddy with elation, “I’m good...Vin here’s a featherweight...I’ve rescued damsels in distress who weigh more than he does!”

Nathan grimaced, Josiah groaned and Chris winced as Vin thumped Buck weakly on the chest and all but snarled out, “Put me down Bucklin...right now...I ain’t no blushin’ woman!”

Nathan slapped Buck upside the head, “Really Buck...you’re going to irritate him _now?_.....”

Buck, seeing the healthy red flood Vin’s face where only pale skin had been before, and the bright fury of indignation take the place of dull weariness, prodded a little more, “Oh, I don’t know Vin...you ain’t like no woman I ever did see...but you sure do blush purty!”

Vin struggled feebly in Buck’s arms, too exhausted to put up much of a fight, but still intent to try, “Goddamn it Wilmington...put me the hell down...I can damn well walk!”

The others let it go, seeing that Vin was in no danger of either falling or actually getting free, shaking their heads in exasperation and rolling their eyes heavenwards, but inwardly glad hat Vin was so argumentative; a fiery Vin was an alive Vin.

Chris was quick to step in though, when he saw Vin blanch and bite his lip as he twisted the wrong way, “Enough Buck...and you-” he turned his green stare on Vin, “behave...or we’ll all end up in a heap at the bottom.”

Both men complied, Buck even going so far as to add, “You’re right...sorry Vin...you’re not actually that light... I wouldn’t want to run the hundred meter dash carrying you...”

Josiah grinned as he added, “I believe the saying is... _He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother..._ ”

Vin settled, too exhausted to put up much of a fight anyway, and now that his pride was somewhat soothed he gave in to his fatigue.

They cleared the second floor landing and rounded the corner, only to come face to face with Ezra, pale, but steady on his feet, leaning a little haphazardly against his doorframe. In low sitting, long legged, emerald green track pants and no T-shirt, his splinted arm and the white bandage around his forehead stood out in stark relief.

Buck eased his grip on Vin when he felt Josiah move to support the lower half of the silver cocoon, grinning his thanks as they turned to watch the newest drama unfold.

Nathan stared at Chris, looking for the little vein that would pop out on his forehead, Chris stared at Ezra, little vein popping out on his forehead and Ezra stared at Vin, with such a self-recriminating, guilty stare that neither Chris nor Nathan said anything.

“Agent Tanner...I...it was my intention to locate assistance...I...did not anticipate...”

The usually so assured, so confident Ezra P. Standish looked so lost, so utterly remorseful and so completely broken in his halting confession that it was all they could do not to jump to his rescue, but each knew that only Vin could sooth the raw wound.

Vin, who still did not understand the entire situation, was decidedly fatigued and also injured.

Still, even he could see the doubt and hot emotion in the green eyes and moved from where he had relaxed against Buck’s shoulder, sitting up more fully to speak “You alright Ez?”

Ezra, startled at the concern, nodded and Vin continued.

“Then I reckon ya did good....also reckon ya should be back in bed, ‘for ya topple over...” Vin nodded decisively and leaned back against Buck with all the entitlement of a king to his throne.

 Ezra stared after him as Buck continued on to Vin’s room, and understanding dawned, softening his guilt stricken features as Josiah moved to help him back to bed.

_Vin knew that Ezra had done everything he possibly could under the circumstances. Vin knew Ezra was human and allowed him to have human weakness._

It was more than Ezra had ever been allowed before.

***

“I already told ya! You’re not gettin’ the blanket until I get me some pants!” Vin’s voice was adamant as he crossed his arms tightly over his chest and then thought better of it and dropped them down on either side, fisting the silver material at his waist with an iron grip.

Nathan threw his hands into the air and shook his head furiously, rolling his eyes skyward, “Of all the stubborn...For crying out loud, Vin...I need to check your injuries anyway!”

Vin snorted, “Ain’t nothing wrong with my legs... sooner I get some pants, sooner you can have at it, Doc...but this here blanket ain’t goin’ nowhere until I got some pants...I’m all but naked under here!”

Buck, of course, having now unloaded his burden onto the bed, was as always, ready with another appropriate, or inappropriate comment, as the case may be, and helpfully added, “Butt naked maybe!”

Sighing to some deity for the patience to deal with shy, stubborn hellcats, Nathan turned to their ever helpful leader, who was leaning quite happily against the wall on the opposite side of the bed, seemingly enjoying the play by play. Nathan caught his eye and gestured pointedly at the bed in a clear demand for ‘ _Deal with this!_ ’

Chris grinned at Nathan’s exasperated wrath, but did step in, one hand going to Vin’s left shoulder pinning the Texan to the bed when he appeared to be about to lunge at Buck, blanket be damned.

“You,” Chris pointed at Buck, “are not helping matters. Go and - do something. That is not here...” 

Buck left the room, but not before throwing a rather lascivious wink over his shoulder, which had Vin groaning into his hands, attempting to hide both the blush...and well, actually, mainly just the blush.

_He was going with the cold weather if anyone asked._

Something thumped onto the bed besides him and he looked up to see a small pile of black fabric, which were revealed to be track pants by both his exploring hands and Chris’s demanded, “Put those on...and then let Nate take a look at you...it’s been a long night for everyone...”

Vin looked a little contrite at the reminder of how the night had been anything other than a picnic for more than just himself... but he still demanded they turn their backs as he pulled on the pants.

Or attempted to.

Both Nathan and Chris insisted on helping him after listening to his soft gasps and whimpers for the two minutes it had taken him just to sit up. Any argument he’d been tempted to make had been swallowed back after he all but nosed-dived into the carpet while trying to unwrap himself from his silver cocoon.

Finally though, Vin was seated comfortably on the side of the bed, feet pressed flat to the floor and the topmost blanket JD had pilfered draped around his waist as the shivers began to set in now that the insulating effect of the thermal blanket was lost.

Nathan looked to Chris, who was once again on the opposite side of the bed, “Chris...you want to get Buck and Josiah to organize some Chili or soup or something. I’m pretty sure there are several hungry men in the house.....”

Chris nodded, squeezing Vin’s shoulder as he rounded the bed and left, calling for Buck as he descended the stairs.

The medic moved to half kneel, half stoop in front of Vin as his fingers gently probed the lump he’d noted earlier, “Well, you definitely hit your head on something in the roll-over, probably the window, but I don’t think it’s done much damage, didn’t even break the skin.  Once again, you prove to be pretty hard headed....I’ll keep an eye on it though...can never be too careful with head injuries...now...”

He moved to sit besides Vin on the bed, tilting his face towards both himself and the pen light that suddenly appeared in his hand, making Vin groan and shut his eyes, Nathan chuckled as he brought the light up, “You’re favorite, I know...follow the light....good....you were unconscious when we found you...were you out the whole time?...Don’t shake, answer...”

Vin grimaced but did so, “No...I blacked out for a minute when it happened...but I’m pretty sure I remember Ez leavin’, I was stuck too...damn seatbelt wouldn’t come loose an’ I couldn’t get to my cell phone...everything was kinda confused though....an’ cold.” Vin shivered, whether from memory or actual temperature was debatable, but the medic tugged the blanket closer to him anyway, noting the goosebumps that had appeared along Vin’s exposed arms.

Nathan nodded, he’d assumed as much himself, but he’d had to be sure.  If Vin had actually been out for several hours, it could indicate something worse was going on in his head. Dropping the light, he moved his hands down the back of Vin’s’ skull and upper neck, checking for tenderness and oddities as he spoke, “Tell me if anything hurts.  Thinking back, I think Ez may have mentioned you were cold...’Always cold’, were his exact words I believe...we should have cottoned on then...look left...”

Nathan didn’t 100% trust Vin to actually tell him if he touched on a tender or sore point, the Texan was too self-dependant and deeply ingrained with a sense of unimportance, but Nathan hoped he was good enough at reading Vin by now that his body language would give him away.

Nathan’s last words caught Vin’s attention, “What do ya mean, ‘cottoned on’?”

Nathan looked up from his examination of Vin’s collarbone, wondering how he should answer when he was saved by Chris’s interruption from the door, the blond answering “Ezra was confused and concussed, he never actually mentioned you were with him, not in so many words anyway and well...we didn’t get your message that you were with Ez until we’d found him on the side of the road and brought him back here....”

Chris’s green eyes were heavy with guilt as they stared at him and Vin dropped his eyes to where Nathan was very studiously examining his shoulders, the shame and remorse tangible in every movement of his caring hands.

Vin burst out laughing.

“Oow..ow....can’t laugh, can’t laugh....you-you...” he dropped his head in his hands as he drew in a deep breath, laughter making his chest ache but unable to completely stifle it, “Ow...sorry...ya just look so pathetic!...Like I’d actually think ya went... ‘let’s leave Vin out in the cold and snow for hours while we rush Ez back’.....wait,” his face suddenly fell, all amusement fading, “You...y-you didn’t actually think that...I mean I understand that Ezra needed to be taken care of first...but you didn’ actually know I was out there...did you?”

Chris and Nathan, who had just begun to smile at how obviously stupid Vin thought they had been, suddenly blanched as Vin back peddled, looking up at them with watery blue gaze, wide eyes staring at them with such shocked betrayal that Chris choked on his very breath.

Vin’s lower lip trembled with repressed emotion and Chris groaned in dismay as he whacked Nathan on the back of the head, “He’s having us on.....Vin Tanner, you are such an ass!”

Vin burst out laughing again, choking out breathy ‘Ow’s’ between snorts of hilarity, “Not hardly my fault you’re so damn easy...as if I’d actually think somethin’ like that!”

Chris just shook his head again as he moved to lean against _his_ wall, Nathan though, had something to add, “You would have thought...three years ago, you would have though exactly that, and don’t tell me you wouldn’t have.”

Vin quieted down as he met Nathan’s serious stare and he felt Chris’s laser from behind him as he dropped his gaze to his lap. Not entirely comfortable with his past, he answered honestly though,  replying..“No...I suppose you’re right”.

Nathan patted his arm as he spoke reassuringly, “Just as well you had us six to set you straight huh?”

Vin grinned again and answered, “I guess you do have your good points after all,...but ya ruffle my hair Lar’bee and I swear you’ll lose tha’ hand!”

Nathan shook his head as Chris settled against the wall again, looking up innocently, despite having been set to do exactly as Vin had accused. Three years on and he hardly recognized the out of place, distrustful, insecure kid he’d first met as Vin Tanner...but Nathan knew he was still in there, and likely always would be.

That whole dog and pony show Vin had just put on was amusing and the young man obviously recognized that they wouldn’t do something like that deliberately...but he’d still needed confirmation, even if it was unspoken.

Nathan pushed Vin backwards on the bed, saying “Swing your legs up and lie down while I check your chest and stomach, then you can get under the blankets and thaw out...” Vin did as he was instructed, allowing (although, allowing might be the wrong word...more like complying) Chris and Nathan to assist him in straightening up in the centre of the bed.

The Texan drew the blanket up to his chin, hiding what Nathan and Chris knew was a Cheshire like grin.  Nathan sighed. Of course Vin would have to be in one of his hyper/mischievous moods _right now,_ but then, his other choice was the cantankerous patient, whom they’d already clashed with tonight; and while Nathan had methods for dealing with both, this one was much easier on the nerves. 

“Checking your chest remember, then food and sleep...” he admonished, but he’d no sooner pulled the blanket down when Vin reefed it back up again.

This time blue eyes were only just visible above the cover and beneath the tangled mop of curls, teeth chattering audibly, perhaps just a little more than was natural. Nathan shook his head and pulled the blanket back to Vin’s waist again, turning to grab a thermometer from his kit, explaining, “If you’re that cold, you might have a fever...should just check”

The teeth chattering stopped immediately and Vin lay still, smiling like a cherub as he attempted to weasel out of what was his own doing, “Uh, it’s not that cold...sudden heat wave...yeah, I’m warm now...”

Chris snorted and Nathan rolled his eyes as he held the thermometer level with Vin’s mouth, “Yeah, and I’m your Aunt Lucy...open.”

Vin eyed the thermometer with disgust and Nathan, who could all but see the imminent arrival of cantankerous patient, added, “You were out in the cold for several hours Vin, not to mention wet...open...”

Vin complied, although only to question, “Wet?...That why I woke up wearing alfoil?”

Nathan took the opportunity to stick the thermometer in, ignoring Vin’s dirty look in favor of answering, “Thermal blanket, Vin...thermal blanket, and in so many words...yes...” He shuddered at just the memory of so much red, moving to run knowing fingers over the already mottled skin of Vin’s chest.

Chris obviously recalled the image as well, and not with any hint of fondness, if his paleness was anything to go by. Vin, of course, as observant as ever, noticed immediately, and after thinking about spitting out the thermometer to ask, but copping an eyeful of Nathan’s disapproving stare, he poked Chris in the thigh until he received his explanation.

Moving to sit on the bed, Chris spoke, “I thought rule number one was no food or drink in the Jag.”

Vin looked perplexed for a moment and then comprehension dawned and he spoke around the thermometer, “What, my drink?  Ez must have just missed me, that’s all!” he grinned impishly, ignoring Nathan’s look as the medic pointedly straightened the temperature gauge.

Nathan touched on a particularly tender spot along Vin’s left flank and the younger man hissed and arched away, although he settled easily at Chris’s touch to his shoulder, smiling understandingly at Nathan’s murmured apology. To distract him Chris explained, “Well, your drink went everywhere, and I do mean _everywhere_. I have never seen so much liquid in such a small space, beyond a bathtub or swimming pool.... and Vin, it was bright cherry red.”

Vin stared at him, perplexed by the seemingly trivial fact, but knowing somehow it wasn’t so trivial. Nathan’s softly added, “Bright blood red” brought the whole thing crashing home.

“Blood...you thought it was blood...that I’d bled out....you thought I was dead?” he asked, not yet connecting the remembered horror that flooded both men’s faces, until he thought of it another way; himself walking into a bloodbath with Chris in the centre. Or Nathan. Or any one of the others...

“God...” Vin breathed, “I can only imagine....shit, I’m sorry guys, I...”

The words broke both Chris and Nathan out of their imaginings in which the red truly was blood and Vin truly was dead, Nathan reaching out to rescue the thermometer as Chris replied firmly, “Don’t...this was in no way you’re fault, you’ve got nothing to be sorry for....Now, I’d be happy if you never drank another cherry soda...but it wasn’t your fault...”

Vin snorted, amused, but he could still see the shadow that lingered in the other two’s thoughts, however they were saved from having to speak of it when Josiah stuck his head in the door to say, “Chili’s ready for anyone who wants it.... should I bring a bowl up for Vin?”

Nathan looked at Vin pointedly, and Vin shook his head, answering Josiah, “No thanks ‘Siah...I’m more cold than hungry...”

Nathan added, “Fine...but you eat tomorrow morning or I inject it straight into your veins”, to Josiah he added, “Chris and I’ll be down in about 15...check to see if Ez is awake and hungry if you haven’t already.” Josiah nodded and disappeared again and Nathan turned his attention to the thermometer, reading the little digital display.

“You have actually got a mild temp...probably why you’re so cold..., a couple of Tylenol and then sleep....tomorrow morning, or as soon as the storm lets us, we’ll get you and Ezra into Denver General...Ez needs his arm cast and you have at least two cracked ribs and plenty of bruising from the seatbelt....so you’ll need some stronger meds...I’d also like to have both your heads checked... and an x-ray....just in case.”

Nathan knew that as car collision victims, both Vin and Ezra should have been admitted, scanned, poked, prodded, x-rayed and flat on their backs for the majority of the night. However, the situation being what it was, Nathan was as confident in his own abilities as he possibly could be and knew he was all they had.

Vin grinned at his choice of words, but didn’t say anything as Nathan continued, “Now, if I believe you when you say there’s nothing wrong with your legs, and let you get some sleep, I’m not going to get woken in the middle of the night because you’ve got gangrene or paralysis of the lower extremities....right?”

Vin was already attempting to pile the provided blankets on top of himself as he stopped and answered, “Right”, and grinned as both Nathan and Chris began grabbing each blanket and spreading them flat across the bed.

Nathan handed him two tablets and he swallowed them down with the water Chris provided from the bathroom, not exactly eager to take the medication, but in considerable discomfort and unwilling to go toe-to-toe with Nathan.

Yet.

Within 10 minutes he was asleep,

 

***

Epilogue

 It was well after 9am Saturday morning when most of the ranch inhabitants began to greet the day, wandering to showers, bathrooms, or kitchens. It had been late, or rather early, when they’d finally gotten to bed and several had been up and down during the night checking on one or both of the two invalids.

Waking Ezra every two hours until about four in the morning had been unpleasant.  Waking Ez every two hours until four in the morning to ask him inane and trivial questions had been hellacious. 

Thankfully, neither he nor Vin had experienced any complications and other than being dosed again with Tylenol at regular intervals, both had slept rather well. 

The blizzard itself had eased at around 3am, but there had been steady snowfall since then, and it was clear that as long as it held up, no one was going anywhere.

Chris had trekked his way to the barn, along with JD’s assistance and had fed and watered the horses, making them as comfortable as possible, before returning for coffee and milk respectively Buck had bacon, eggs and sausage frying as he traversed the kitchen in his ‘Smooch the Chef’ apron, and he’d commandeered JD to help with the toast.

AT 9:30 breakfast went on the table and Nathan went to fetch both Vin and Ezra, neither of whom had eaten since early the afternoon before. He returned moments later with a bedraggled and scowling Ezra and a conspicuously absent Vin. Pushing Ezra into his seat and pulling a plate towards the southerner Nathan turned to Chris and said, “You go and find Vin, because I’ll flay him alive if I do...being out in this weather...I mean, really!”

A scowling Chris had returned a short time later with a bemused and blanket draped Vin. Guiding the Texan to his seat and pushing him down into it, Chris explained to Nathan as he grabbed a glass of juice for Vin, “He was asleep on the porch...snug as a bug in a rug....”

Nathan just sighed and turned back to his breakfast.

 

 

***Later that morning***

The seven men were spread throughout the den in varying positions of relaxation.  Chris, of course, was in _his_ seat, the single armchair by the window.  Ezra had taken its sister across the room, his splinted arm resting on a mound of pillows as he reclined.  Vin had been given the generous three seater so he could stretch out, although five minutes after declaring Vin should have the seat, Buck had claimed one end, though he graciously allowed Vin to rest his legs on a pillow on his lap.

Buck in turn had stretched his own legs out and crossed them at the ankle, resting them on the small of JD’s back, who was sprawled on his stomach on the floor. Josiah and Nathan had both carried kitchen dining chairs in from the table and were quite happily playing cards at the small side table.

The TV was on, but JD had confiscated the remote from Buck’s grasp, declaring that he wouldn’t watch any ‘Sexual Rituals’.

They’d checked out the weather channel, which had declared the snow would cease by that afternoon, but Vin had deemed it to be closer to 8 or 9 that night, so they planned to head to town the following morning, barring any complications with Vin or Ezra.

Currently there was an old western on, but most weren’t paying attention, just relaxing and appreciating each other’s company after the rather brutal reunion the evening before. JD suddenly sat up straight with an excited exclamation and left the room, returning to his curious team a moment later and handed something to Vin, saying, “It was in your jeans that Josiah brought in...I charged it for you”

 

Vin flipped his cell open and pressed the on button, startled when the phone chimed several times.

 

*101*

**_You have 29 new messages_ **

**_Message received Yesterday at 8:02pm_ **

_“Junior – you must be in a black spot – uh…Ez has had an accident…we don’t know how bad yet, but he’s talking to Nate on the phone…”_

_“Chris says that depending on when you left and how far Ez got before he crashed, you may be closer to him than we are…so keep an eye out…”_

_“call us when you get this…drive carefully…”_

**_To send a copy press 1, to save pre..._ **

**_***_ **

There was silence for a moment as each wondered how Vin would react and then...

 

“Well, I guess I really was the closest...wasn’t I?”

******

****

 

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All done.
> 
> Uh, first aid and injury stuff in this one – FYI – my knowledge is rudimentary at best, so if anything that happens could possibly kill the patient, well its Fanfiction; take it with a grain of salt huh? And blame me - not Nathan.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed...if so, please check out my other works.

**Author's Note:**

> Part two -->
> 
> Expanding my base... love to hear what you think.


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